As a professional photographer, one of the most important investments you can make in your business is to further your education. I’m constantly looking to employ new techniques, expand my skill set and develop my use of light in order to deliver the best possible imagery to my clients. One of the best ways to learn this is through hands-on workshops, mentorships and training.
Jesus Padilla Neri, the renown Mexican photographer from Leon, GTO, is a rising star in the world of wedding photography. In a relatively short time, he has managed not only to grow a thriving wedding photography business, but also keep up with a hectic schedule of over 25 workshops a year all over latin america and in the USA. His ability to create incredible and consistent imagery in camera, to find, create and shape light, and his goal to create transcendent images profoundly resonate with me. This is what led me to attend his first ever, advanced lighting course “Creating the light, the second level”.
Jesus covered proper use of WB in camera (never use auto WB again!), highlight alert to avoid blown out details, how to light reception halls with 2 and 4 light setups (fully manual system for getting perfect lighting every time), using gels to correct as well as enhance an image, variable neutral density filters, and much more. He also taught us an extremely innovative way to do gorgeous, high end high key images that could be done at any time of day or night, in practically any setting. He showed us how he works with sunset hour, and the “blue hour” that proceeds it.
The workshop also covered retouching, social media for more exposure and bookings, and he truly was an open book, answering any and all questions that we had.
Although this was not a posing workshop, it was enlightening seeing how he directs his brides to get natural and artistic expressions and poses in order to create compelling imagery.
Here are some of my favorite bridal images from the workshop. I’ve annotated exif info, and a few other tidbits/nuggets that hint as to how each image was made.
Sunlight softened with a large diffusor camera left, short lighting. This was shot at noon sun, and was a great lesson into how we can create stunning, soft lit and dynamic imagery without having to put our client in shade.
3 lights – Main light camera left at f3.5, Fill light camera right at f.2.5, and rim light pointed straight up to light the trees.
Sunlight softened with a large diffusor camera left, gold reflector for hair light camera right behind model. One of the lessons to be learned from this settings was just how quickly good natural light can shift.
Sunlight softened with a large diffusor camera left, gold reflector for hair light camera right behind model.
Ambient Light. Last quality natural light of the day.
3 lights. Main light camera right (to match direction of fading sun) at f5, Fill light camera right at f3.5, backlight with CTO gel to light up the background.
Window light. Incredible, soft morning light coming from the windows at San Francisco City Hall.
High Key done with 3 lights. Main Light f6.3, Fill light f4.5, Back light lighting a diffusor at f9
A note on the retouching… I applied an editing technique known as frequency seperation, where you seperate the textures of the skin from the luminance. This allows you to retouch an image without blurring out texture. Its the perfect technique for closeup, magazine like images.
3 lights. Main light camera right at 5.0, Fill light camera left at f3.5, rim light to light up veil at f7.1.
A note on the retouching… I applied an editing technique known as frequency seperation, where you seperate the textures of the skin from the luminance. This allows you to retouch an image without blurring out texture. Its the perfect technique for closeup, magazine like images.
The lessons learned at Jesus Padilla’s workshop were incredibly valuable. Not only that, but I was able to work and learn alongside friends, colleagues and meet so many incredible, talented and awesome photographers.
I want to give thanks to the Jesus Padilla for giving the workshop, as well as to Alex Pimentel, who worked tirelessly for months organizing such an incredible event! I also want to thank the main sponsor, Alejandro Martinez of PIC PHOTOLAB Los Angeles, the four beautiful models, Mallory, Dayana, Rosa and Athziry, the guest photographers Ramiro Cervantes and Miguel Vazquez, as well as the rest of the incredible crew that made the workshop possible.
To stay up to date with Jesus’ upcoming schedule and workshops, you can follow his FB page on his website: http://jesuspadillafotografia.com
The lessons learned at Jesus Padilla’s workshop were incredibly valuable. Not only that, but I was able to work and learn alongside friends, colleagues and meet so many incredible, talented and awesome photographers.
